The Alaska State Council on the Arts, in partnership with the Rasmuson Foundation, has announced a second round of applications for school residencies in the upcoming school year as part of the Artists in Schools Program.

The Artists in Schools Program makes opportunities possible for students and teachers to work with professional artists through a full-time residency in their school for a minimum of two weeks. Any school in Alaska is eligible to apply. Applications and guidelines are available online only at: http://alaska.cgweb.org.

Applications are due Nov. 1, 2008. Late applications will not be considered for funding.

The Artists in Schools Program is also looking for professional teaching artists in visual, literary, traditional Native and performing art forms with a strong desire to share their skills with Alaskan students and teachers. Visual and literary arts include painting, sculpture, printmaking, media arts, poetry, playwriting, fiction and non-fiction writing, as well as Alaska Native arts such as bead-working, basketry, quilting and kayak and sled building.

In addition, four Arts Educator Grants have been announced. These grants are designed to encourage the reconnection of art teachers to the practice of their art. Four awards, each up to $3,000, are available for elementary school arts educators who have been teaching a minimum of three years and are permanently assigned full- or part-time work in an Alaska school. Applications and guidelines are available at: www.eed.state.ak.us/aksca under Arts Education.

There are two deadlines for this grant: Dec. 1, 2008 and March 1, 2009.

For more information, contact the Alaska State Council on the Arts' Arts Education office at 269-6682, or toll-free in Alaska at 1-888-278-7424.